Interlocking mechanism for gasoline dispensing pumps



0a. 16,. 1951 G. E.-cH:

INTERLOCKING MECHANISM FOR GASOLINE DISPENSING PUMPS 3 Sheets-Sheet lFiled June 6, 1950 fieoljq eli 67221 011101;

G. E. CHEVALLIER 2,571,200

act. 16, 1951 INTERLOCKING MECHANISM FOR GASOLINE DISPENSING PUMPS 5Sheets-$heet 2 Filed June 6, i950 G torneg Oct. 16, 1951 CHEVALLIER2,571,200

INTERLOCKING MECHANISM FOR GASOLINE DISPENSING PUMPS Filed June 6, 19503 Sheets-Sheet 5 Geofgeli Chei a l l ye l",

J1 BB W ttorneg i atenteci Oct. 16, 1951- INTERLOCKING MECHANISM FORGASO- LINE DISPENSING PUMPS George E. Chevallier, Salisbury, Md.,assignor to Martin & Schwartz, Inc., Salisbury, Md.

6 Claims.

This invention relates to interlocking mechanism for gasoline dispensinpumps, and it has for its object the provision of an improved andsimplified mechanism by means of which the pump register must be resetto its zero position, after each dispensing operation, and before asubsequent operation can be instituted.

In the well known meter pump utilized for the retail dispensing ofgasoline to motorists, a motor driven pump delivers the gasoline to avolumetric flow meter and thence to a flexible hose provided with avalve nozzle at its free end, which nozzle is inserted in the customerstank and manipulated by the attendant to fulfill the purchasersrequirements. The meter also serves as a hydraulic motor for a register,the operation of which reflects the quantity of gasoline passing throughthe meter. In manydispensing pumps, the register, through appropriategearing, also actuates counter wheels which compute the sales price ofthe gasoline, the movement of the quantity and cost indicators beingrelatively adjustable to reflect total cost over a wide range of unitprices.

After each dispensing operation, and before undertaking a sale toanother customer, the attendant is supposed to reset the quantity andcost indicators to a zero position. To enforce such resetting,interlocking mechanisms are incorporated in the pump assembly, and thesemay take the form of means for locking the motor switch from movementfrom an off to an on position, until the register has been reset tozero. The present invention relates to interlocking mechanism of thisgeneral nature.

The nature of the improvements, and the advantages to be gained by theadoption thereof, will be apparent from a description of a typicalembodiment, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a dispensing apparatus to which thepresent invention is applicable;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the improved interlocking mechanism, as viewedfrom the left of Fig. 1, with parts of the switch operating linkageconnected thereto;

Fig. 3 is a plan of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on the irregular line 4-4 ofFig. 2;

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are perspectives of certain components of themechanism;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary section through the back of theenclosing casing for the improved interlock; and

Application June 6, 1950, Serial No. 166,380

atively connected to a reset enforcement mecha- Figs. 9 through 12 areenlarged fragmentary sections, as viewed from the right in Fig. 4, withthe components of the mechanism shown in positions successively assumedin a cycle of operation.

For a more detailed statement of the nature of a typical dispensing pumpprovided with an interlocking mechanism, reference may be made toFig. 1. Gasoline from an underground storage tank (not shown) isinducted into a pump 2| through a suction line 22, the pump being drivenby an electric motor 23 through a belt 24. The pump effluent isdischarged into a separator 25, in which entrained air is eliminated,and the gasoline then flows through a conduit 26 into a volumetric meter2?, that herein shown being of a multi-piston-in-cylinder type.

The liquid emerging from the meter 21 flows through a combined check andrelief valve 28, thence through a conduit 29 into a sight glass 3|,wherein the purchaser may observe the flow of gasoline, and thencethrough a pipe 32 and fitting 33 into a flexible hose 34 having amanually operable valved nozzle 35. When the nozzle is closed and themotor 23 is running, gasoline recirculates around the pump 2| through aby-pass system built into the pump casing, as is well understood. Thenozzle 35 is herein shown as being removably supported on a bracket 36mounted on the casing 31, and, in the supported position, the guard ofthe nozzle depresses the outer end of a pivotally mounted lever 38, thuselevating the inner end, and thereby lifting a link 39 connected theretoand extending to a switch 4| controlling the supply of current to themotor 23. After the attendant removes the nozzle 35 from the bracket 38,he may manually lift the outer end of the lever 38 to move the link 39downward, and thereby throw the switch 4| to its closed or on position.Gasoline may then flow through the system in the manner just described.

The meter 21 is provided with a drive spindle 43 which operates a geartrain 44 for driving the mechanism of a computing register 45, mounted,

in the casing 31 on suitable brackets 46. As gasoline is dispensed, thevolume and total cost thereof is registered by counter wheels which arevisible to the attendant and purchaser. In order to resetthe wheels to azero position before instituting another delivery, the attendant, afteropening the switch 4|, rotates a reset crank 41 coupled to a shaft 48extending into the register. The shaft 48 is internally connected to ashaft 4-9 extending through the opposite side of the register casing,and the shaft 49 is in turn oper- 3 nism or interlock, generallydesignated by the reference numeral 5 I.

The interlock 5| is connected to the switch control link 39 in suchmanner that, after the switch M has been thrown to its off position bydepression of the outer end of the lever 38, the switch cannot again beclosed unless the reset crank 41 has been operated to clear the quantityand cost computing wheels of the register. It may here be noted that,while the details of the computer form no part of the present invention,advantage is taken of the operation of the reset shaft 48 in connectionwith the operation of the interlock 5|, as will hereinafter bedescribed. The register 45 herein illustrated is so constructed that thereset crank 41 must be rotated more than 360, specifically 405, in orderto clear the counter wheels, and recondition the computer for asubsequent registration. After rotating the crank 41 through this are,the shafts 48 and are automatically rotated 45 in a reverse direction,thus making the net rotative movement one complete revolution. Thepurposes in 50 constructing the register 45, and the means employed forsuch purposes, are sufficiently described in patents to others, such,for example, as those to Edward A. Slye, assignor to Veeder-RootIncorporated, Nos. 2,203,109 of June 4, 1940, and 2,213,597 of September3, 1940. It is further to be noted that the present invention may beutilized as an interlock with registers not incorporating the overtraveland automatic retrograde movement of the reset shaft.

The construction of the interlock 5| and its organization with the otherparts of the dispenser is illustrated in Figs. 2 through 8. Theinterlock comprises a rectilinear casing 54 formed withforwardly'extending top and bottom walls 55 and 56 connected to a backWall 51 and side walls 58 and'59. The bottom wall 56 may be formed bystriking up the stock from a sheet metal blank of greater length thanthe enclosed portion of the casing, thus providing depending legs 6|which are turned inwardly at their lower ends to provide supporting feet'62. The latter are drilled to receive screws 63, by means of which thecasing may be mounted appropriately to the register shaft 49, as,for'example, on the deck of the variator portion of the'register 45. Inservice, the open front of the casing is covered by a'cap 64 which fitssnugly over the adjacent portions of the walls, and which is retained inplace by screws 65, between whichmay extend a wire 66 whose ends areembedded in a seal 61.

The top and bottom walls 55 and 55 are formed with aligned slots 68 forthe reception of a slide bar 69, shown in perspective in Fig. 5. The bar69 is formed with an angle section H which rides against the inner wallof the cover 54, and thus is guided for vertical reciprocatory motion.The bar 69 is also formed with a trigger stud 12 at about mid length,and, in the specific form of the invention herein illustrated, with arelatively long lug 13 above the stud 12, the inner end of which mayride in a groove" formed in the back wall 51, as shown in Fig. 8. Thelower end of the bar 69 is formed with an eye 15 for connection to theswitch operating linkage. V H

In the course of its motion, the slide bar 69 is adapted to engage andactuate a latch'element 16, shown in perspective in Fig. 6. This elementis formed with coplanar trigger and stop lugs or fingers 11 and 18respectively, the latter being of less length radially from a pivotaperture 19, by means of which the latch is mounted on the back wall 51of the casing through the medium of a pivot pin M. The stock from whichthe latch is formed is turned at right angles to the plane of the lugs11 and 18 and is there formed to provide a body web 82, an outwardlydirected reset guide lug 83, and a spring follower lug 84. The webmerges into an apertured back bearing which rides over the surface ofthe wall 51 and also receives the pivot pin 8 I. As shown in Fig. 2, acurved leaf spring 81 is secured to the top wall 55 by pins 88, and itis bent to contact the web 32 and lugs 83 and 84 when the latch is inthe position therein shown.

When the specific form of the invention including the slide bar lug 13is utilized, the casing may also be provided with a hook 9|, shown inFig. 7, which is 'pivotally mounted on the back wall 51 by means of apin 92. The hook is formed with a back cam surface 93 and a frontrelease cam surface 94, and its mass is so located with respect to thesupporting pin 92 that the hook is biased to swing to the left as shownin Fig. 2. Such movement brings its bight 95 underneath the lug 13, toprevent downward movement of the bar 69, as long as the hook is in suchgravitybiased position. Under other conditions, as will be presentlyexplained, the hook is held to the right of the bar 69, as seen in Fig.2, so that movement of the bar is possible.

Before describing the sequential operation of the mechanism, it may heresimply be premised that, when the motor switch H is turned on, the bar69 moves downwardly to trip the latch 16, and when the switch is opened,the bar 69 moves upwardly and cannot be pulled down again until theregister 45 has been reset to zero. The rotation of the reset crank 41is, as has been noted, accompanied by rotation of the shaft 49. Thisshaft is provided at its outer end with a stud 96, Figs. 3 and 4, formedwith a crank arm 91 entering the interlock casing 54 through an aperturein the back wall 51, and with a crank pin 98 by means of which thelocking action of the mechanism may be nullified. As shown in Fig. 2,the crank pin 98, under certain conditions, engages the cam face 94 ofthe hook 9|, and thereby prevents the latter from swinging into itsgravitybiased position.

Referring primarily to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, it will be seen that the innerend of the support lever 38 has pivoted therein a swivel pin IOI, formedwith a transverse aperture to-receive an actuating rod I02. The lowerend of the rod I02 is encircled by a coiled spring I03, which is heldunder some compression by secured washers I04 and I05. The upper end ofthe rod I02 is provided with a coupling nut I06 from which extends a rodI01 formed with a bearing aperture I08 at its end. The switch controllink 39, which is angularly bent or offset to provide necessaryclearance around the front of the register 45, extends upward through aguide bracket I09, which may be bolted to the register or anysatisfactory part of the casing 31 Above the bracket I09, the link 39 isbent substantially at right angles to provide a connecting section I IIwhich passes through the bearing I08, and extends through the eye 15 ofthe slide bar 69. In this manner, the interlock 5I is connected to thenozzle lever 38 and the switch 4|.

Assuming that the interlocking mechanism 5| has been released by properresetting of the register 45, it will be seen that the lever 38 can bemanipulated to depress its inner end, and such movement causes adownward movement of the rod I02, connecting section III, and slide bar'69, as well as downward movement er the lower portionof the link 39 toclose the switch 4|. This motion may be reversed to open the switch 4|and restore the elements of the linkage to their initial positions.Should the interlock 5| be conditioned to'restrain downward movement ofthe slide bar 69, then the link 39 cannot be moved. However, due to thecoil spring I03, the lever 38 can be moved, the swivel pin Illl in suchcase simply compressing the spring I93 against the lower washer I84. Itis also to be noted that, by reason of this spring loaded connection, itis possible to elevate the slide bar 69 slightly above its normal upperposition, as the section I is free to rotate in the bearing H18 and theswivel |IJ| is free to rotate in the lever 38, thereby making adjustmentfor slight changes in eccentricity. In this instance, the spring I93 isalso compressed by the force acting upwardly through the washer NM.

The action of the interlocking mechanism will now be readily understoodfrom a consideration of the motion diagram of Figs. 9to 12. Inasmuch asthe register 45, as currently manufactured, provides for clockwiserotation of the crank 41 to effect resetting, and as these views aretaken from the back of the casing 54, clockwise rotation of the crankarm 91 will be assumed. Fig. 9 illustrates the relation of the partsafter the register has been properly reset, and with the outer end ofthe lever 38 depressed. The slide bar 69 is then in an elevatedposition, with the trigger stud l2 resting lightly on the trigger 11 ofthe latch 16. The lower end of the spring 8'! presses against the web 82of the latch, thus retaining the latch in the position shown. The camface 94 of the hook 9| bears against the crank pin 98 and is accordinglyheld free from the slide 69.

When the attendant institutes a dispensing operation, by raising theouter end of the lever 38, the slide bar 69 is pulled downwardly,through the linkage previously described, and. concurrently the switch4| is moved to closed position, to effect operation of the pump 2|. Themovement of the slide bar 69 causes the trigger stud E2 to rotate thelatch 78 in a clockwise direction, by reason of the engagement of thestud with the trigger 11. The follower lug 84 deflects the spring 81 tothe left until the dead center position is reached, whereupon the springbears against the opposite face of the lug 84, as shown in Fig. 10. Atthis time, the tip of the trigger 11 rests against the bottom wall 56.This is the running position.

After the'dispensing operation has been completed, the attendantcustomarily replaces the nozzle 35 on its support, to open the switch 4|and also shift the slide bar back to the position of Fig. 9. During thisreverse motion, the trig ger lug '52 engages the curved edge. of therelatively short stop lug 18 of the latch 16, rotating it slightly in acounterclockwise direction, but not enough to restore the latch to itsinitial position. As the stud 12 clears the lug T8, the spring 81presses the latch again to the Fig. 10 or Fig. 11 position. It will beseen that, if an effort is now made to pull down the slide bar 69, thetrigger stud 12 will engage the flat edge of the stop lug l8, forcingthe tip of the trigger ll tightly against the bottom wall 56, andthereby preventing movement of the slide 69 and switch link 39. The pumpmotor 23 accordingly cannot be started, although, as previously noted,the lever 38 may be forcibly rocked against the resistance of the coiledspring I03." I

When the attendant operates the reset handle 4! to clear the computer,the crank arm 91 and crank pin 98 rotate clockwise, as viewed in Fig.11, which illustrates the position of the crank shortly after theresetting operation is instituted. Movement of the crank permits thehook 9| to swing by gravity underneath the long lug l3 of the slide bar69, and the hook thereby supports the slide against downward movement.As rotation of the crank arm 91 continues, the crank pin 98 engages theunder side of the reset guide lug 83 and web 82 of the latch l8, therebyrotating the latch element in a counterclockwise direction, past itsdead center position, and restoring it to the positions shown in Figs. 9and 12.

After some 332 of rotation of the reset shaft, the crank pin 98 abutsthe back cam surface 93 of the hook 9|, and thus rotates the hook 9|counterclockwise until the engagement is broken. This motion lifts theslide bar 69 slightly, but does not disengage the hook 9| from the lug13. After the reset crank has been rotated through its entire arc of405, and is manually released, the automatic retrograde movement of 45causes the pin 98 to engage the release cam surface 94, thereby swingingthe hook 9| in a clockwise direction, and to the position shown indotted lines in Fig. 12, which of course corresponds to the positionshown in Fig. 9. The mechanism is then conditioned for another cycle ofoperation.

The hook 9| provides an additional looking or safety element, as willnow be readily apparent. It is to be noted that the mechanism isentirely operative without the inclusion of the hook 9|, and theinvention in its broader aspects contemplates mechanisms in which thiselement is omitted. It is moreover to be noted that the relatively longlug 13 has useful functions other than providing for engagement with thehook 9|. This will be apparent from Fig. 10, in which it will be seenthat when the slide bar 89 is in its lower position, corresponding tomotor operation, the lug 13 constitutes a stop for the crank pin 93,thereby forestalling operation of the register reset crank 47 until theswitch 4| has been turned off and the slide bar 69 has been raised tothe Fig. 11 position.

It will be seen that the present invention provides a simplified andimproved interlocking mechanism, which may be economically fabricated,and which is positive in its action. It will also be apparent that themechanism is coordinated in its operation with the other components ofthe dispensing system. While the invention has been described withparticular reference to a single embodiment, it is intended to encompasswithin its scope all those modifications and variations which arecovered by the following claims.

I claim:

1. Interlocking mechanism for liquid dispensing apparatus including aflow register having a reset shaft, comprising a casing, a slide barreciprocably mounted in the casing, an oscillative latch pivotallymounted in the casing and formed with trigger and stop fingers, a springin the casing having a portion bearing against the latch and adapted toretain the same in alternative positions, a trigger stud on the slidebar and adapted when said bar is moved in one direction to engage thetrigger finger of the latch and shift the same to one of'its alternativepositions and to bring the stop finger into the path of the triggerstud, said stop finger being of less length than the trigger fin erwhereby reverse movement of the slide bar enables the tri er stud to camover the stop fin er without restore ing the latch to the other of itsalternative positions, a stop on the casing for said trig er nnger whenthe same is in said one alternative Desi: tion whereby said stop fingerprohibits repetitive movement of the slide bar in said one direction,and a crank operative by rotation of the reset shaft for restoring thelatch to the other of its alternative positions.

2. Interlocking mechanism as set forth in claim 1, wherein the slide baris formed with a second stud which, when said slide bar is moved in saidone direction, provides a stop for said crank to forestall operation ofthe reset shaft until the slide bar is restored to its initial position.

3. Interlocking mechanism for liquid dispensing apparatus including afiow register having a reset shaft, comprising a casing, a slide barreciprocably mounted in the casing, an oscillative latch pivotallymounted in the casing and formed with trigger and stop fingers, a leafspring in the casing having a portion bearing against the latch andadapted to retain the same in alternative positions, a trigger studformed on the slide bar, said stud being adapted, when the slide bar ismoved from an initial position in one direction, to engage the triggerfinger and snap the latch to one of its alternative positions, said stopfinger being so positioned with respect to the trigger finger that itprojects into the path of movement of the trigger stud when said latchis in said one alternative position, said stop finger being formed witha cam surface engageable by the trigger stud upon reverse movement ofthe slide bar whereby the trigger stud and slide bar may be restored toinitial position without shifting the latch to the other of itsalternative positions and whereby said stop finger prohibits repetitivemovement of the slide bar in said one direction, and a crank pin.extending into the casing and operatively connected to the reset shaft,said crank pin upon rotation of the reset shaft engaging said latch andrestoring the same to the other of its alternative positions.

4. Interlocking mechanism for liquid dispensing apparatus including afiow register having a reset shaft, comprising a casing, a slide barreciprocably mounted in the casing, said slide bar being formed with atrigger stud and a second lug spaced therefrom, a latch pivotallymounted in the casing and formed with trigger and stop fin.- gers, aspring positioned in the casing and bearing against the latch to retainthe same in alternative positions, a crank pin in the casing andconnected to the reset shaft for rotation simultaneously therewith, saidcrank pin having a normal position corresponding to the reset conditionof the register in which it is adjacent to but slightly spaced from thepath of movement of the trigger stud and second lug, a hook memberpivotally mounted in the casing and swingable .from a disengagedposition to a position interfering with the free movement in onedirection of the slide bar, said hook member in its disengaged positionengaging the crank pin, said trigger stud upon movement of the slide barin one direction from an initial position engaging the trigger finger tosnap the latch to one of its alternative positions, said stop fingerthereby being projected into the path of movement of the trigger stud, acam face on the stop finger to enablethe slide .bar to be restored toits initial ;position without restorin the latch to. the oth r or i s at rnat ve positions an o forestall repet t ve ovem nt oi the slide bar wth re pect to its mov m n n said one direction from said initialposition, said sec-.- ond lug being disp sed in said initial positionabove a portion of the hook member, said crank pin being rotatableinitially to free the hook member whereby it may swing under the secondlug to forestall movement in said one direction of the slide bar andsequentially to engage the latch and restore the same to said otheralternative position, said crank pin upon completion of the movement ofthe reset shaft engaging the hook member to release it from its positionbe? neath the second lug.

5. Interlocking mechanism for liquid dispensing apparatus including aflow register having a reset shaft manually rotatable through more thanone complete revolution and automatically reversibly rotatable throughthe excess of more than one complete revolution, comprising a casing, aslide bar reciprocably mounted in the casing from and to an initialposition, a latch pivotally mounted in the casing and formed withtrigger and stop fingers, a trigger stud formed on the slide bar andadapted when the slide bar is moved in one direction to trip the triggerfinger and thereby shift the latch to one of two alternative extremepositions and concurrently bring the stop finger into the path ofmovement of the trigger stud, a cam face on the stop finger engageableby the trigger stud upon reverse movement of the slide bar whereby theslide bar may be restored to initial position without restoration of thelatch to the other of its alternative positions and whereby the stofinger forestalls repetitive movement of the slide bar in said onedirection, a second lug on the slide bar spaced from the trigger studand from the latch, a crank pin in the casing connected to the-registerfor rotation concurrently with the manual and automatic rotations of thereset shaft, the crank pin having a normal position in which it isslightly spaced fromthe path of movement of the second lug, a hookmember swingably mounted in the casing from a disengagedposition to aposition interferingw-iththe movement of the second lug in said onedirection, said hook member in its disengaged position abutting thecrank pin, said hook member uponinitial rotative movement of the crankpin being biased for movement to its interfering position, said crankpin upon further rotative movement engaging the latch to restore it tothe other of its alternative positions, said hook member being formedwith a cam surface whereby the crank pin may pass thereunder to completeits manual rotative movement of more than one revolution, said hookmember being formed with a second cam surface engageable by the crankpin upon the automatic rotation thereof to restore the hook member toits disengaged position.

6. Reset mechanism for liquid dispensing apparatus including a flowregister having a manually rotatable reset shaft comprising a casing, aslide bar reciprocably mounted in the casing, a first latch pivotallymounted in the casing, said latch being formed with trigger and stopfingers, said slide bar being formed with a trigger stud and a secondlug spaced therefrom, a spring in the casing for resiliently holding thelatch in one or the other of alternative positions and wherein in oneposition the stop finger is disposed in the path of movement of thetrigger stud and in the other position the trigger finger is positionedin said p th. a c k p n i th iee ie en e ni e ed to the reset shaft forrotation thereby, said slide bar being movable in one direction from aninitial position to engage the trigger finger and thereby snap the latchto said one position, said slide bar being movable in the oppositedirection to bring the trigger stud above the stop finger and therebyforestall repetitive movement of the slide bar in said one direction,said crank pin having a normal position in which it is adjacent to butspaced from the path of movement of said second lug, said second lugupon movement of the slide bar from its initial position in said onedirection being disposed adjacent said crank pin to provide a stoptherefor, a second latch memher in the casing having a disengagedposition 15 and adapted therein to abut the crank pin in its normalposition, said second latch member being biased for movement into thepath of the second lug' when said crank pin is rotated from its normalposition, said first latch having a portion disposed in the rotativepath of the crank pin whereby said crank pin may restore the latch tosaid other position thereof, said second latch member being formed withcam means engageable by the crank pin upon completion of the movement ofthe reset shaft to restore said second latch member to its disengagedposition.

GEORGE E. CHEVALLIER.

No references cited.

